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    • BLU-RAY REVIEW

    Company Of Heroes

    Featured In Issue 175, March 2013

    Picture4.5
    Sound4
    WSR Score3
    Basic Information on new release titles is posted as soon as titles are announced. Once reviewed, additional data is added to the database.
    (Studio/Distributor):
    Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
    (Catalog Number):
    41609
    (MPAA Rating):
    R
    (Rating Reason):
    Bloody war violence throughout, some language and brief nudity
    (Retail Price):
    $30.99
    (Disc Type):
    Single Side, Dual Layer (BD-50)
    (Widescreen Edition):
    Yes
    (Full Screen Edition):
    No
    (Running Time In Minutes):
    100
    (Color Type):
    Color With B/W Sequences
    (Chaptered/Scene Access):
    Yes
    (Closed Captioned):
    Yes
    (Regional Coding):
    A, B & C
    (Theatrical Year):
    2013
    (Theatrical Release):
    No
    (Direct-To-Video Release):
    Yes
    (Disc Release Date):
    02/26/13
    (THX® Digitally Mastered):
    No
    (Director):
    Don Michael Paul
    (Screenplay/Written By):
    (Story):
    (Music):
    (Director Of Photography):
    (Production Designer):
    (Visual Effects):
    (Costume Designer):
    (Editor):
    (Supervising Sound Editors):
    (Re-Recording Mixers):
    (Executive Producers):
    (Co-Producers):
    (Producers):
    (Academy Awards):
    (Principal Photography):
    (Theatrical Aspect Ratio):
    (Measured Disc Aspect Ratio):
    (Disc Soundtrack):
    DTS HD Lossless 5.1
    (Theatrical Sound):
    (Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
    (DTS Bit Rate):
    (Dolby Digital Bit Rate):
    (Additional Languages):
    (French Language):
    (Spanish Language):
    (Chinese Language):
    (Subtitles):
    (Cantonese Language):
    (Mandarin Language):
    (Japanese Language):
    (Italian Language):
    (German Language):
    (Portuguese Language):

    Company Of Heroes is set against the last major German offensive of World War II, when a company of American soldiers is lost behind enemy lines during the Battle of the Bulge. They make a horrific discovery—Hitler has a super bomb in development. The soldiers soon learn about a secret allied mission to retrieve a defecting German scientist in charge of a Hitler weapons program. Faced with impossible odds, the company and an escaping POV go on a daring raid into the heart of Nazi Germany in pursuit of the scientist. Based on a video game. (Gary Reber)

    Special features include a deleted scene (HD 02:57), the featurettes In The Trenches: Filming Company Of Heroes (HD 10:28) and Fabricating World War II (HD 05:41), upfront previews, and an UltraViolet digital copy.

    The 1.78:1 1080p AVC picture appears to be shot digitally and exhibits pristine image quality. Contrast is excellent with deep, solid blacks and revealing shadow delineation. The color palette is naturally hued, with natural tones that are nicely balanced with warmth. Fleshtones appear perfectly natural as well. Resolution is excellent, with fine detail exhibited throughout, especially in close-ups of facial features, hair, clothing, and object texture. This is a picture that is pleasingly crisp and clear throughout. (Gary Reber)

    The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.1-channel soundtrack is less dynamic than suggested by the visual genre. There is an overall lightness to the sound, which lacks a strong, deep low-frequency foundation. The .1 LFE channel is sparingly used during some battle scenes but sounds effectively deep and energized at sub-25 Hz frequencies during the climax scenes involving the helicopters. Atmospherics and sound effects, particularly the sound of rifle shots, machine guns, mortars, and tanks, convey naturalness, with an aggressive directionalized presence riveting the soundfield with an intense SPL impact. The music score, which is prominent throughout, sounds at times thin and reserved, though, spatially dimensional with a wide frontal and aggressive surround presence. The music doesn't sound bad but lacks the dynamic edge and power that the score suggests. Dialogue is natural, though, at times low in level. Still, the sonics work overall to complement the story. (Gary Reber)

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    Mark A. Okrzesik
    26864 Mandelieu Drive, Murrieta, CA 92562 • Phone: 951 676 4914 • Fax: 951 693 2960
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